There are about 1.2 billion Catholic worldwide and women counts approximately about 600 million which is about 62 percentages and thus, none of these women will have a direct say in whose to be their next pope on March 19, 2013. There will be 115 cardinals voting for the next pope and they are all men; and one of these men will be elected as the bishop of Rome and the Pope of the Catholic Church.

Many women in the Catholic Church pay active roles in the church. Women have equal rights to be promoted at Baptism and confirmation. In matrimony, many women are treaty as full equal partners with their husband. Furthermore, in the Catholic Church, women can also serve on the parish council as financial committees members. Women can also be readers of a mass in the church. A reader is a layperson who assists the priest at a mass to give the Holy Communion. Women can also work in the parish’s office and teach religious courses and do many different kinds of work just as their counterparts men. With all these different forms of contributions women make in the Catholic Church, however, only a minority of these women has sanctioned titles. Moreover, even becoming a nun for a female in the Catholic Church does not get them boon to of the sacrament of Holy orders only men in the church can be ordained.

Most people in the Catholic Church holds the premise that the reason why women cannot be priests is because of the fact that the establishment of the sacrament of holy order and thus, because it was established by Christ as Catholic believed and no priest, bishop, or even a pope can changed or ratified it because it is imminent.

It is very important to understand that with all the scandal that is going in the Catholic church, sexual abuse to money laundering and etc, the presence of a greater female in the church hierarchy would helped solved many of the problems from getting worsening because it is clear that, statistically, women tend to abuse less than their counterparts males.

It is mind banging to knows that even though women in the Catholic Church for example, here in the United States, holds 23 percent of top powerful positions, 48 percent of the administrative positions and 80 percent of all paid positions and yet, they have been denied their rights to vote for a pope.

Some critics of the Catholic Church say that even though we have women running all sorts of roles and playing a major part in the Catholic Church but yet are still been denied most of the important position such as priesthood need to stop if the church wants to move forward from many of the obstacles the church is facing as aforementioned, sex abuse, money laundry, and etc. Other believe that the fact that the Catholic Church insist on celibacy in the church and that women are excluded, that double combination shows that the church is still far away from stability unless changed in policy is made that will allow for women to exercise their rights to vote for pope and served as priests as their males counterparts.

Since the founding of their individual leagues, all of Americas top tier professional sports have been separated by sex. While this may not be a product of specific rules, it has certainly become the norm to see men and women divided not by their ability or aptitude but by their gender. While this is an established norm, lesbians and homosexuals are still very much so a rarity at the highest levels of professional sports. They hide their sexual orientations out of fear of discrimination. It is imperative that we embrace these LGBT issues and bring them to the forefront so that they may be issues no longer.

Just recently, Baylor women’s basketball star Brittney Griner confirmed the fact that she is indeed a lesbian woman. The announcement itself means much in regards to opening the door for other college and professional players to step through, confirming their own sexual preferences. Her announcement wasn’t without kickback however. Baylor has always been and remains an institution with firmly entrenched christian beliefs. With these beliefs is the schools recognized policy against homosexuality and same sex relationships. Baylor must now make the choice as to how they will handle the fact that one of their most famous athletes, someone who brought them an undefeated season and subsequent national championship, is now an openly gay woman. Griner has since been drafted as the number one pick into the WNBA and will in all likelihood have a stellar pro career, all while being a lesbian.

Its these kinds of decisions that teams are being forced to make as the issue of sexual preference becomes more prevalent. The NFL is going through its own growing pains in regards to allowing the inclusion of openly gay players. Rumors floating around the league recently have pointed to the possibility of an organized group of players choosing to reveal their homosexuality simultaneously. The thought is that by coming out as a group, no one player will assume the burden of the media scrutiny that is sure to come. The NFL though may soon find itself in possession of its first openly gay player regardless of what existing players do. Alan Gendreau, a kicker from Middle Tennessee State, has long embraced his homosexuality and made the fact public knowledge. In college and on the field he was able to perform his duties regardless of his sexual preference and he hopes to bring his talents to the NFL for the coming season. If he is successful, he will be the first openly gay player to enter the league, a milestone that shouldn’t be trivialized and one that will hopefully show how it is possible for those of differing sexual preferences to coexist on the field.

The fear held by those that are hiding their true sexual natures is that they will somehow be perceived differently by their teams and fan bases. It is this fear that must be erased in order for sexual equality to establish itself within Americas favorite sports. Who you choose to find attractive and love should have no bearing on how you perform with your teammates on any given Sunday.

Over the past decade society has slowly seen a transition from the working dad to fathers fulfilling traditional motherly roles. The “Stay at home dad” isn’t quite as rare as it was years ago. With these new roles being satisfied, has there been a change in society to adapt to the needs of a father taking care of his child? A few weeks ago my wife left town and left me with our ten month old daughter. I would truly find out if local society has catered to the needs of a father and child. However, I really didn’t consider changing her in public until I was at the local library and realized that there was no changing station; instead I had to change her on the counter. I figured it was the best option that I had since I wasn’t going to go out to the car. Was it fair that just because I was a male I wasn’t provided with the same needs for my child? I would soon find out how common a baby changing station in a male restroom was in the carious places that I visited. This wasn’t the first time that I ever changed my daughter in public and I had never considered how uncommon they were since my wife usually takes the lead on changing our daughter in public.

The worst is when the facility you are at doesn’t have a changing station and you have to resort to using unconventional methods such as changing the baby in the trunk, back of the truck, or on a table. I have even seen a couple change a baby on a table next to the bathroom. I guess there wasn’t a changing station so they wanted to make it obvious that they were angry about that. Luckily there weren’t that many people in the restaurant but then again what would someone say besides the fact that it was unsanitary. We are sorry that our restaurant doesn’t have a changing station to change your child; however, we do have a children’s menu, crayons, high chairs, and booster seats. What is a parent to do?

As a new father, trying to take on traditional motherly roles such as changing the baby in public has been quite troublesome. A month has now passed and I have tried to identify locations with father friendly changing stations. However, I have even found locations that don’t have a baby changing station at all such as Taste in Chesapeake. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt since it is a new location and their food is good, but “really, no changing station at all, not even in the women’s restroom.” This makes absolutely no sense since they have toddler seats! This also poses an even greater challenge for my wife who is seven months pregnant with our second child. How is she supposed to change our daughters diaper with her pregnant belly? A few places that I have visited that don’t have changing stations in the male restrooms include: Subway on Great Bridge, Atlas Restaurant, and the Chesapeake Public Library. On the other hand, places that have embraced the new father role and have changing stations in the male restrooms include: Plaza Azteca on Cedar Road and Holland, Cracker Barrel on Greenbrier Parkway, Golden Corral in Virginia Beach, Farm Fresh, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, and One Life Fitness.

Apparently I am not the only dad doing this type of research. Pierre Kim (blog: metrodad.typepad), a New Yorker with a 15-month-old daughter claims that he assumes that there isn’t going to be a changing table in the men’s room so he must improvise. He has changed his daughter on his lap while sitting on the toilet. “That’s crazy but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.” I wouldn’t say that I have done that but, creating a blanket with toilet paper on the floor and changing my daughter isn’t the funnest or most convenient thing ever.

One of the largest manufacturers of changing stations, Koala Bear Kare, conducted a recent survey that found that 77% of parents with children under 6 have used a changing station and 34% of the subjects utilized the stations more than 6 times a month. In addition, John Helmsderfer, founder of changing-table maker Brocar Products estimated that 60% of all public restrooms have them today and it is relatively unheard of to get an order for just a women’s restroom (NY Times). However, I would say that the figure is a little higher than 60% locally. Looking at the changes in society is only a starting point regarding a father’s role.

There are plenty of benefits to a paternal lifestyle. According to Kyle Purett, a child-development research and co-author of Partnership Parenting, says that parents differences often benefit the children. “Dads’ hands-off style tends to instill problem-solving ability while the more engaged style typical of mothers often instills a sense of security and optimism.” Research conducted by Dr. Pruett at Yale School of medicine claims that “over the long term, having an involved father is linked in research to better self-control in children, less risky behavior and better grades” (WSJ Online).

Overall, I would say that our local area has for the most part embraced the role of a father. Not having a changing station in the men’s room isn’t too big of a deal and a minor inconvenience because parents find a way to make it work!

Does age matter when it comes to love? According to the stereotypes cast upon people dating someone of an older generation, it would seem so. The first stereotype between a man and a woman where the woman is older will label the woman as a cougar. This label used to refer to older women who “preyed” upon young men. As times have changed this label went from a derogatory term to a desirable term. She can be a woman who rocks the clothing of a younger generation; however, she takes care of herself and looks good. She has no need for a man to settle down and marry or have children; these things have already been accomplished. She has no need for commitment. These women have a positive self-image, enjoy sex, and more importantly, know what they are doing. However, it is people’s reactions to them that give them a stigmatism.

As we saw in Friends, one of my favorite TV shows, a cougar is looked down upon. While Phoebe originally seems excited about her brother’s engagement, she has a very different reaction once she learns her age. She even enlists the help of Ross and Joey to deter her brother, but they quickly change sides once they realize that her brother has something special.

However, according to men, a cougar can be a good thing. She is independent, financially sufficient, and the young man does not have to worry about gold diggers. She is also expected to have different life traits such as being more relaxed on vacation, and do not discuss what shade of lipstick matches their skirt. Due to age these women know what they want in life. They do not play games or value materialistic things.

This term “gold digger” is what we get when we switch this relationship in terms of age. Any woman who marries a man several years her senior is immediately measured in what terms of financial gain. “Is she with him for his money?” “Does she not work?” These questions can be frequently asked regarding this scenario. A woman asking, “What do you do?” is a red flag. It’s not like she could have an actual interest in the man she’s seeing.

You can tell that a girl is a gold digger by her sense of entitlement that she be treated well. Doesn’t everyone think they should be treated well? As an independent woman who works two jobs and pays her own bills, I ALWAYS offer to pay half the bill. But a guy offering to pay definitely changes the “tone” of the evening. It can go from two friends having a drink to someone trying to court someone. Either way I still expect to be treated well.

There are some very strange expectations that accompany what people are after when they date someone of a different age. People do not assume that they are simply with someone based off mutual interest or that they have had similar life circumstances. We cannot base assumptions of someone’s relationship on their age.

It’s interesting to the change in American history with female employees in the workplace. It was not long ago that it was frowned upon for women to work in the workplace. Everyone remembers the American dream that was preached just after World War II, the 2-car garage, white picket fence, wife and kids. In that American dream the woman-stayed home to take care of the kids and perform household tasks while the men worked. Obviously this is not the case now more and more women are entering the workplace and the workforce. Today women make up almost 50% of the workforce in the United States. To me it’s also interesting to see our perceptions of those women in the work place. Many women and men have very differing views on this topic. I know of some women who judge other women for working too much, and they feel that their kids are not going to be raised correctly. And those who work feel that those who stay at home and are taking care of their children are not exerting their independence.

An example where the gender difference is most seen is in the show “Mad men”. The show talks about the men of Madison Avenue. The men work for an ad agency and it takes place in the 1960s. While there is many women that work for the ad agency the women are in lower level positions while the men handle the “real work”. The women don’t ever really handle any kind of serious work on the show and the women are always subservient to the men. I feel that a lot of women feel that they are not treated with equal amounts of respect as men do. To me this is a product of our society. For many years our society is a patriarchal society. I think that a lot of men feel that they need to be the ones that provide for their wives and I think some men are insecure about it. Our society has always been one where the men do the hard labor, at one point much of our society was blue-collar work that many women did not want to do. But now with the advent of more white-collar jobs more women are entering the workplace, which has gone against what was once a strict social norm in the United States.

I personally don’t have any problem with women in the workplace. It’s a part of our society that is slowly changing as time moves on. It’s hard for many people to accept that change but I believe that it is a welcome change in our society. Men or women no gender is better but each has a unique set of skills that they can bring to the table to get the job done.

In the past sports have been less than open to accept people of color into their clubs. Eventually, of course, Racism has died down and people of color play in professional sports daily. This took time for people to accept but it eventually paid off and it is much better for everyone. Can the same be said for sexuality? Is sexism really that much different than racism? There are coinciding outlooks on this and if a player openly comes out as gay in the National Football League will they be shunned? Obviously if a player came out as homosexual than they would still be welcome to play in the NFL, but is it worth receiving all this negative attention for? There are many questions to this and little answers unless this actually happens. There has been speculation that as many as four players who play in the NFL may come out to be homosexual. This should not be such a big deal as it is, but of course, people are making it out to be and are looking at it like it could be detrimental. When and if the players come out, they will be faced with much adversity like Jackie Robinson faced when he played in the MLB. The said players that might come out will be called hero’s they will also inevitably be called faggots and other hurtful words. They may even lose friends along the way and gain enemies. If the players come out, this will define them for the rest of their lives and they may not be able to deal with the consequences.

There have been multiple polls that surveyed hundreds of thousands of people which ask is the NFL ready for a gay player to come out. The survey answered a surprisingly 55% no and 45% yes. This shows that many people are not comfortable with this and the poor men that are believed to come out will unfortunately be judged harshly and deal with many consequences. There are hundreds of openly gay men in sports around the country but not one in the NFL, why is that? It is because men in the NFL are supposed to be tough, rugged, and masculine. Why can you not be all three and still be a homosexual? It is the stereotypes that support this and hopefully if the men come out in the NFL they can help put an end to the nasty stereotypes like these. Although there have not been openly gay men actively playing in the NFL, there have been men who have retired and came out after they were done playing. They have chosen this because they did not want to be flamed in the NFL and did not want to go about it alone. There are strength in numbers and if all 4 men who are speculated to come out as homosexual come out together then they can face adversity together and support one another. If only Jackie Robinson had this then he would have been much better off at the beginning of when he joined the MLB, but overall I am positive it made him a better person and came off as strong because of it. Much like Jackie Robinson these men will look to make history and attempt to make a better life for homosexuals everywhere. They will also try to put an end to gay stereotypes like not being athletic or masculine. It may also motivate other homosexuals to be active in sports and may also teach children and adults alike on how to accept them for who they are no matter their sexuality. I believe this is the right time for the four men to come out and I believe the world will become a better place because of it. I look forward to when it happens, if not this year, then eventually, but when it does it will go down in history.

Just a few days ago I was sitting on my couch watching TV, waiting for another commercial to end when I hear the narrator say the slogan “Hail to the V”. Now normally I do not feel the need to rewind to watch a commercial but I was so intrigued by this slogan I just had to see what the commercial was about.

A beautiful young female is frantically searching through her purse for that one thing that is going to take her beauty and self confidence to the next level. But she is skipping past the items that most people would think a woman would use to tidy up in a public bathroom. She throws out her makeup, then her straightener, next a pair of shoes, and lastly nail polish among other beauty supplies. The narrator states how hard women work to maintain their beauty, but having perfect makeup, hair, clothing, and nails isn’t the solution to being at their most beautiful? No, its having a fresh and clean feeling vagina. There is nothing a woman should care more about keeping clean and beautiful than what men would want a woman to keep clean and beautiful. I’m not a woman and I felt offended at the way the company chose to describe the importance of their product. Summer’s Eve is basically saying that “we know what’s going to get you far in life, so you better keep it tip-top!” Women are given the stigma of being less important than men and having to sell their sexuality to carry themselves through life. But even though the commercial may have been meant to give power to women and show that there are many ways she can be beautiful, it doesn’t come off as empowering, is comes off as degrading.

Women should not have to think with their vagina when out in public and a man should not find it priority number 1. The commercial is saying, don’t worry about your hair or makeup because that’s not what men care about. It is the sex they want and we are gonna make sure its the most clean and fresh sex you can give. Women deserve the right to be beautiful in their own way, free from sexual innuendos and expectations. Hail to the V is just another way of bringing women down in society. It is not only oppressive but disrespectful and belittling. I am perfectly fine promoting female hygiene, but not in a way that makes it seem like a woman only has one prized attribute.